In the Forest of Dean
by xxanonymouscatxx
Summary: Hermione Granger didn't realize that her first camping trip would go so wrong. She had been so excited, but after her mother told her to run as dark figures came out of the forest, she wondered if she would even survive as her parents screams echoed through the forest. Merlin/Hermione, AU, Not Canon.
1. Chapter 1 - Beginnings

Disclaimer: I do not own...

**Chapter One**

Seven year old Hermione Grange was excited. It was her first camping trip, and her parents had a whole week to spend time with her. Her parents had been so busy lately with their dental practice and hadn't had a whole lot of time for her over the years, but this time was _her_ time. She wasn't going to waste it.

At the moment, she was scampering around their small apartment checking to make sure that nothing important was being left behind. Her tiny feet pattered up and down the stair. Her parents just smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Hermione, we need to leave or we'll hit traffic!" Jean Granger called to her daughter who had paused halfway down the stairs to listen to her mother's voice.

"Coming mum!" she yelled as she ran down the stairs almost tripping over the last step in her rush. She ran out the door going right past her parents who just looked at each other with bemused expressions. They soon followed their daughter out to the car, laughing as they saw her hopping in front of the car door.

"You've got everything, sweetheart?" Robert Granger asked his ecstatic seven year old.

"Yep, all my books are packed in the back seat, and I have some crayons too! I won't get bored."

He just shook his head with a smile and unlocked the door. "There you are. We have a long way to travel, but we'll be there soon enough," he said as he got into the driver's seat.

Hermione bounced in her seat as they began their ride. "How long 'til we get there?" she asked after about a minute.

"Two and a half hours if traffic's good," her mum replied. Everyone settled down for the ride. Hermione eventually opened a book that her dad had gotten her about medieval legends. She soon lost herself in the pages, allowing her imagination to take hold.

"Sweetheart, look out the window," her dad said, startling her out of a tale about a knight called Percival and his daring quest. Her head whipped toward the window and saw a sign that said welcome to the Forest of Dean. Her eyes grew bright as she saw the first glimpse of a campground.

"Is that where we're staying?" she gasped as she tried to crane her neck looking out the front window.

"Yes, dear," her mother said glancing back at her. "Don't twist so much, you don't want to strain your neck."

Hermione looked abashed, and she settled down into her seat. She wondered what it would be like to go camping and thought about how much fun she was going to have with her parents. She smiled as they finally parked and was able to jump out of the car. So far from what she could see this forest was beautiful. There was something about this place she decided to herself. It was special. Her parents had already gathered most of their things as Hermione awoke from her musings, but she grabbed a few small things in order to help.

They found a nice place to set their things down and her dad started to work on the tent. They had decided to do things the old fashioned way with a tent an sleeping bags rather than a camper, and though her mum was a bit leery, Hermione thought it great fun.

As the tent was being set up, Hermione explored. Her parents had told her to stay close and not wander too far off so she kept them within sight. As she explored, a couple kids, her age or older, crawled out from a group of tents she wandered past. She eyed them warily and continued walking. She made a curve away from them and moved towards her where she knew her parents were. One boy who looked much older than her planted himself in her path. The other children watched curiously.

"Hey, who're you?" the boy asked smugly. "Haven't seen you around here before…must be new to this campground."

She shifted nervously and then gave a glare to the boy. "I'm Hermione, not that it's any of your business. And isn't it polite to introduce yourself before demanding answers from others. That and you shouldn't stop in front of someone when they're obviously walking somewhere. It's rude. Yes, this is my first time here and by your statement, I would say this isn't your first time on this campground. Am I right?

A few of the children giggled as the boy's face got redder and redder before finally he yelled, "Aren't you such a know-it-all! You're such a bratty little girl." He then stalked off, a couple of the other children running after him.

Another little girl stayed behind with a boy that looked quite a bit younger. "Hi, I'm Mary," she introduced herself. "And this is my little cousin, Andrew. We come here with our families every year."

"I'm Hermione."

"I know…you already said," Mary called giggling. "You sure showed Gary, didn't you? He's another cousin. It's our family reunion, you see."

Hermione just nodded, wondering about what Mary wanted.

"So…do you want to play a bit? Gary can be a jerk, but that's 'cause his mum spoiled him too much. That's what my parents say at least."

Hermione looked surprised and then appeared to think about it. The wind gently blew her hair and made it even more wild and unruly. "Sure, I guess that would be okay."

The rest of the late morning was spent playing with Mary and Andrew. Hermione had never had friends, and she wondered if this is what it felt like to have some. Soon her parents called her to lunch, and Mary left with Andrew telling her that they should play again.

The next few days were a lot of fun. She spent more time with Mary and Andrew. They played a lot of pretend games based off of the book Hermione had been reading about medieval legends. They scoured the campground for dragons, damsels, faeries, and monster. Though, they all seemed to enjoy "questing" as they ran off to find artifacts of great value. Their favorite quest was looking for the Holy Grail. They ran through parts of the forest (close to the camp of course) and pretended to overcome challenges. But today was going to be different as her parents decided that they were going on a family hike.

She was very excited about this family hike as they started on the trail. Her mum had told her that it was going to be a long while before they got back and that they would be having lunch in the forest. She skipped lightly on the path thinking about how this would be her first "picnic". She was very excited.

The trail was beautiful and became even more beautiful as they continued on the path. They went deeper and deeper within the forest, and she slowly wondered about this feeling deep inside of her. The trees felt old and ancient, and the wind whispered half formed words. She briefly felt a strange sensation overwhelm her and then it was gone. Her eyes opened, and she heard her parents calling her. She ran to catch up with them.

Before she could make it to them, something happened. Her skin prickled, but it was not like the other feeling. She shivered. There was something here. She felt the sudden urge to run the opposite direction, so she stopped. "Mum, Dad!" she yelled, "Can we go back? Please, something's wrong."

Her parents didn't have time to respond as dark figures surrounded them. These figures were laughing, but not the cheerful kind; it was the kind that made your skin crawl. Her parents floated into the air as one of them yelled something in what she thought was Latin. She saw her mum look toward her and mouth the word "run". She felt frozen, but she finally commanded her limbs to move. She ran without having any idea where she was going. All she knew is that she had to get away. She tripped over roots, and her hair tangled in branches as she pushed through bushes.

She froze again when she heard the screams. Her head turned, knowing instinctually that it was her parents. She shook like a leaf, but stumbled and crawled trying to get to safety. Eventually she couldn't hear the screams anymore. She had no idea how far she went, but she couldn't go any farther, she collapsed, not even realizing that she was sobbing. She had no idea how long she cried, but she curled into a ball falling asleep as tears still streamed down her face.


	2. Chapter 2 - Merlin

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I'm glad that you decided to read this story :D I forgot to put a disclaimer in the first chapter, so I figured I'd do it now. I'll try not to forget from here on! Oh, and updates will hopefully come once a week. Every Thursday if all goes as planned, but if I don't update on Thursday, it will hopefully be added on a weekend. Just to let you know (in case you haven't already noticed) this is a Hermione/Merlin fic. There won't be anything, but friendship for a while as Hermione _is_ only seven at the moment. Figured I should explain as I don't want anyone getting the wrond idea. There will hopefully be some romance after a long while, but I'm letting it progress slowly. Enjoy the next chapter! It's early and a bit longer than the last one :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Merlin...I'm just borrowing their characters in order to move the story along!

**Chapter Two**

Hermione woke up confused. Her throat was hoarse and her eyes hurt. Her face felt wet and puffy. It was also dark, too dark. Her eyes cracked open, and she tried to sit up. She ran a hand threw her hair and realized that she had leaves, dirt, and small twigs stuck in her curls. Wondering why she was in the forest, she tried to stand. That was when she noticed her legs and knees were raw and bloody as she had scraped the skin off somehow. It was then that her memories came to her. A sharp gasp crawled its way out of her throat. Her parents…what had happened to her parents. She felt empty, so horribly empty. The screams rang in her head. She began to stagger threw the forest, not really paying attention to her surroundings.

The trees blocked the moonlight. It was so very dark. She should be frightened. She wished she was frightened, and then maybe she could feel something. It felt like she had walked for hours when really it had only been a few minutes. She stumbled into a small clearing, the moonlight bathing it in soft light. The rocks shimmered and glowed. Miniature lights floated and danced in the clearing. She barely noticed that the rocks had odd symbols etched into them. A pleasant feeling settled inside of her, and she wandered further into the clearing, allowing the lights to dance around her head. A warm wind whispered unknown words of what she assumed to be comfort into her ears. She longed to understand what it said, maybe then she wouldn't feel so…sad.

The warmth of the wind made her realize how cold she felt, cold in both body and soul. She moved closer to the center of the clearing, stumbling and falling. If she could just reach the center, everything would be alright her mind told her, but in her heart she knew nothing could be alright at this moment, not even knowing if her parents were alive or not. She moved around one of the rocks and looked into what she assumed was the center of the clearing. A rock (not as large as the one she just passed) lay at the center. The odd markings glowed gold on this rock. The gold stood out from the silver moonlight everything else was bathed in, but it wasn't this that astounded her. It was the boy standing on the rock with his back to her.

"There is someone else here," she quietly murmured as she scooted closer. He suddenly turned around startling her. Her mind went blank as gold eyes peered at her. His eyes glowed the same color as the symbols! "How can that be?" she wondered to herself. He hopped off the stone. His golden eyes faded into an astounding blue. She found herself unable to say anything. She shivered. There was power here.

The boy looked at her his brow furrowed in confusion. "Who are you?" his voice gentle and light called. "Are you alright? You look a right mess." Hermione shook her head, unsure of herself. She didn't know what she was doing. She needed to leave. She shouldn't be here. Her mum had told her to run, get away. She needed to get to the camp and find help. She backed away from the strange boy. He wasn't normal. Something was off about him. But before she could run, the strange boy grabbed her hand.

"You're hands are cold. Are you lost?" he looked worried. He pulled her to the opposite side of the clearing. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay." He gave her a beaming smile. It made her feel safe. "I'm Merlin by the way."

They soon entered the forest and made their way toward a small cottage if you could even call it that. He gave her another one of those smiles to reassure her. "This is my home. You're safe here." She gulped as he dragged her into the hovel. It looked worn out and old. The roof was made of twigs and mud and the walls of stone, but the inside was cheery enough. When they walked through the door, the boy, Merlin, said a word, "blæcernleoht"**(1)**. It sounded odd and definitely was not English. The room became bright when he said it. Candles and lamps burning allowing her to see the room she was in. He pulled out a chair for her. Well, she _assumed_ it was him as his eyes flashed gold, and a chair moved out from underneath a small rough wooden table. She was dreaming this. It all made sense now. Her parents were in their sleeping bags or perhaps she was in her own bed at home, her parents a floor above her in their bed. She truly hoped this was the case as her logical mind could not wrap around anything that was happening.

She was sitting in the chair watching cups and water and herbs move through the air. Soon a cup of warm drink was in her hand and the boy seated across from her. "Don't worry," he said gently, "it's just tea. You can drink it without fear." He gave her one of those smiles again. His eyes, she realized, looked old as if they had seen many things. She sniffed her "tea". It smelled pleasant enough. She took a sip. It tasted warm and a lot like the chamomile tea her mum would make her when she had a nightmare.

"Now, can you tell me your name?" Hermione stiffened and looked at Merlin.

"Hermione…my name is Hermione." Merlin nodded and smiled as she took another sip of the warm fluid in her hand.

"Ok, Hermione, are you lost?" His gaze shifted to her legs. "You scraped your legs pretty badly."

She shrugged. "I don't know…my parents…something happened." The words just weren't coming out right. She shivered as she remembered her parents. What happened to them?

He seemed to sense her distress and gave her a gentle look. "Why don't we figure this out in the morning? You're exhausted. But first let's clean your wounds." He gently washed the dried blood off her legs. They stun, but felt a lot better when he put some sort of cream on them and bandaged them up. "There we go." He led her to a bed and covered the blankets over her small figure. He gave her a smile and a little pat on the head. Before he could leave, she grabbed his sleeve.

"Don't leave. Please, I'm…I don't want to be alone." Her eyes shifted. Her face froze with panic. Merlin wondered what had happened to this girl to make her this frightened. He nodded and crawled into his bed with the poor thing. She was trembling and soon she was crying into his shirt. His magic surrounded her trying to calm her as well as protect her from whatever was distressing her so. As his magic wrapped around her in a protective blanket, she seemed to become quiet and sleepy. Her sobs stopped and the only sound of her distress was a sniffle here and there. He noticed something odd as his magic covered her though. He felt something reach out and touch his magic. It was then when he realized that this girl had magic of her own.

The next morning Hermione woke up to the smell of something delicious. Her eyes cracked open, and she tried blinking away the crusty feel on her eyelids. The morning light streaming through the windows made her wince. She remembered the strange dream she had last night and stretched. She then realized that she was in a house, the same house from her dream. She screamed.

Merlin who had been making breakfast jumped about two feet in the air and spun around looking towards where the bed lie (the house he lived in only had one room). "You scared me half to death! Are you alright? You aren't hurt are you?" His eyes widened and he looked around for adversaries, but saw no one.

She stopped screaming and gave him a panicked look. "Tell me it was just a dream. Please, let it just be a dream." She jumped out of bed and ran out of the house. Merlin paused and then ran after her.

"Where are you going?" he yelled. "Do you even know where you're going?" He caught up to her at the druidic shrine, the place where he first found her. She was standing there, her face mirrored shock and confusion. He stretched out a hand and put it on her shoulder. "What's wrong? You don't look so good. We should go back, and I'll get some food in you." He led her to his house wondering what happened to her as she didn't seem like a lost child. Not that he's one to talk considering how he'd probably be mistaken for a lost child at the moment.

"There," he said, seating her on the same chair she had sat on the night before, "now can you tell me how you came to be wandering the woods by yourself?" He put a plate of food in front of her, and she stared at it blankly. He sighed thinking that she wasn't going to say anything, and went over to pore himself a glass of water.

"We were attacked," she said quietly breaking the silence. "They came out of nowhere, and my parents…I don't think…I heard screams. Mum told me to run. I couldn't do anything." Tears started to trail down her face and drip from her chin and nose. Merlin knelt in front of her and took out a piece of cloth drying her tears.

He nodded. "Shhh, I'll find out what happened, okay? Everything will be fine. I know it doesn't look it now, but it will be. You'll see." He gave her a reassuring smile, and she nodded hoping everything would work out in the end. "You are going to finish your breakfast, while I go do a little exploring. You were on the path right? The one where all the people come and go…"

"Yes," Hermione whispered.

"I'll go check it out and be right back. Eat up!" Merlin dashed out the door and left Hermione to eat her breakfast. As she ate she noticed how the "house" really only was one room with a small kitchen (that had a pump instead of a sink), a small bed in the far corner, and a table with two chairs in the center. Everything looked rough and "homespun". Breakfast was really good. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she had taken the first bite.

Merlin on the other hand had just reached the path and was walking along it keeping an eye out for people. He really didn't want to be mistaken for a lost child. It would be too much of a hassle. He sighed. He really wished he had his old body back. Sure it didn't seem like that much of an inconvenience at first, it was only every five hundred that he had to go through "the change" as he and Kilgharrah often called it. He hated being so short and having to go through puberty again was the worst, but hey, being eight had some advantages. Nobody ever expected an innocent little eight year old to be the legendary Merlin. He even used his real name half the time as most thought he was being cute or funny when he told them it.

Shaking his head and trying to focus on the task at hand, he stumbled upon a place where he knew magic had been used. He could practically taste it. Magic permeated the air like a fog. Normally he wouldn't mind too much, but this magic tasted foul. He walked a bit further trying to see if Hermione's parents were in the area. His eyes widened. He had found them, or at least assumed he found them as there were two bodies lying somewhat off the trail. He ran to them and knelt beside their still forms. His hand gingerly turned the first body (one that he believed to be a woman) over. He felt sick. He could barely even tell that she was a woman as the damage to her was extensive. He turned the other body over too. They were both dead. His magic flared with his anger. Hermione shouldn't see this, but she had to know.

He left the bodies where they were and made his way back to his home. He had a decision to make. Something had to be done with Hermione, but he didn't know what. Perhaps he could just keep her? He mentally berated himself. He couldn't raise a child, not to mention, he himself appeared to be eight. But what else could he do with her? He supposed he could leave her at the edge of the campgrounds and hope for the best. That would make sense. Leave her with her own kind…but she had magic, so technically that made her part of magic-kind. This was getting him nowhere!

A sudden idea came to him – the druids. They would be able to take her in, but is that the best choice? He sighed. He would have to ponder it and come up with the best plan of action. Asking Hermione about what she wanted to do couldn't hurt either. This was turning out to be an eventful couple of days.

**(1) Light pertaining to lanterns or candles**


	3. Chapter 3 - Druids

**A/N:** Sorry...this is slightly late. But I hope you enjoy it anyway! If you have time, feel free to leave a review! I appreciate them. And a thanks to all those who have reviewed, followed or faved this story!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own...

**Chapter 3**

Hermione had been hardly responsive during the past few days. Merlin tried to comfort her in whatever way he could, but nothing worked. It was understandable that his efforts brought him no fruit, because really, what could anyone say to a little girl who just lost her parents? He did manage to figure out what to do with her though. She begged him not to send her away after he mentioned taking her back to the campground, and it was then and there that he decided that he would take care of her. He was sure it was going to be a strange next few years, but he liked the idea of having someone else around that could use magic, not that she knew about her magic. He hadn't been able to mention it yet. He sighed. It was time to see what his new charge was doing.

She was sitting on one of the rocks with funny markings on them. Hermione was thinking as she had been ever since that morning when Merlin had explained to her that her parents where no longer among the living. He tried to send her away, but she was able to convince him not to leave her to fend by herself. She knew that she needed to get on with her life, but she couldn't. She kept thinking of her parents. The more she thought about what happened the more she sunk into her grief. She was sick and tired of thinking, of feeling sad.

She startled when Merlin sat next to her. She glanced at him and noticed him watching her. "You know, wallowing in despair won't do any good," he stated carefully.

"And what do you know about it?" Hermione replied angrily.

"More than you can know. I've lost my parents too as well as friends and those that were closer than family." Merlin couldn't help allowing himself a moment to think on Arthur. He mentally pushed his thoughts aside. "It's tough, but eventually it doesn't hurt so much anymore. Sure, it'll always stick with you, but the key is to rise above you pain and misfortune and find a way to carve a better world for you and those who are left behind."

Hermione stared at him. She wondered why she had never thought about it like that. Those dark figures killed her parents, how many other children were orphans because of these same people? Her eyes hardened, and she vowed to herself that she would do everything she could to stop whoever these people were and save others from being killed or from losing loved ones. "I want to fight them, stop them from hurting other."

Merlin nodded and smiled a grim smile that hinted more at resolve than any kind of mirth. "I'll help you then. You'll need someone to stand by you when things get rough."

Hermione blinked. "You mean…like a friend?"

Merlin looked surprised by this, but gave a nod and a smile. "Like a friend," he agreed.

Hermione gave a bright smile at that, the first one in what felt like ages. They sat there for a while in comfortable silence, until Hermione broke it. "Can you teach me how to do that glowing eye thing? It could be useful."

"Glowing eye thing," Merlin repeated with one brow raised. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, when your eyes glow and things just move without having to touch them," she said sheepishly. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Oh, you mean magic. Sure, I don't mind teaching you. I was planning on it anyways. When I realized you had it too, I figured it would be necessary to help you learn how use it."

"Wait…magic? You can't be serious! There is no such thing!"

Merlin laughed. "No such thing as magic? You've got to be kidding. Didn't you see me use it over the past few days? My eyes tend to glow gold when I do it." He watched in amusement as Hermione's face reflected each and every emotion that she was feeling from wonder to disbelief. "Don't hurt yourself by thinking too much. If you want me to show you some simple spells, I can."

"Really?" she exclaimed excitedly. Merlin smiled at her enthusiasm. It was nice seeing her so cheerful. It surprised him that she was able to bounce back after the past few days. This could be the start of her healing process. He would still have to keep a close eye on her though. It would be bad if she were to suffer a relapse.

"Yep, how about a simple levitation spell to begin with? From there we can decide where to go next." Merlin noticed how the girl beside him straightened and looked at him eagerly.

"That sounds great! Can you show me now?" He gave her an impish smile and a nod.

"Ok, the incantation is 'ábregdan'**(1)**." As he said it he stretched his hand out in front of him and levitated a small pebble depositing it in his hand. "As you can see, it's magic. I don't expect you to get the spell right the first time, but once you figure out your magical flow, you'll be able to do most of the simpler spells."

The next few days passed in a blur for Hermione. The distraction of magic allowed her to push aside her memories of her parents at least during the day. The only time when she couldn't truly forget was at night. The nightmares were frequent, and if not for a sleeping potion Merlin had her drink before bed, she would not have had any sleep at all. She had been progressing nicely in her magical studies though. Merlin had given her a book of spells that had been his. It looked old and not for the first time she wondered about the mystery that was her friend and mentor. He spoke as if he was much older than his appearance.

Today she was sitting outside Merlin's house reading the book of spells. It was hard getting through it, and unfortunately she wasn't able to practice any of the spells unless Merlin was there or unless she had already done it once in his presence. She had missed having a book in her hand. It felt right being able to soak up knowledge. She was so engrossed in her reading she didn't notice Merlin until he was right beside her.

"How would you like to go somewhere new?" Merlin's voice startled her out of the trance like state she always assumed when reading. She jumped and whipped her head to look at him.

"You scared me," she accused.

Merlin laughed at her pout and smiled down at her. "Maybe you should pay more attention to your surroundings then." He ruffled her hair a little with his hand and plopped down next to her.

Hermione just huffed and glared at him. "You mentioned going somewhere?" She still looked a bit irked, but her curiosity was slowly winning her over.

"Hmm, I did, didn't I?" Merlin teased picking up the book Hermione had been reading and examining it. He slowly turned a page as if he had all the time in the world.

"Well, are you going to tell me?" Hermione narrowed her eyes. He was so infuriating.

Merlin turned another page, making a show of running his finger along a sentence as if he was engrossed in reading it. Hermione was growing more impatient by the minute. "Tell me already!" she said annoyed. She had detected a whiny edge in her last statement and was kicking herself. "Patience, Hermione," she thought to herself, "he's got to tell you sometime soon."

He finally looked up and gave her a fond smile. "I suppose I should, but I don't think I will. It'll be a nice surprise." Hermione looked beyond annoyed. Merlin chuckled. She looked like a cat that had been doused with water. "Don't worry. You'll know soon enough. But we should get going or you won't find out the surprise until tomorrow."

Hermione kept up her glaring and stole the book back. "Do I need to bring anything?" She thought about the clothes she had borrowed from Merlin. They were boy's clothes and a bit strange. Rougher than normal clothes and made out of different material than any sort of clothing she had seen. He had told her that they were sown by hand, and she assumed that meant someone had made them (either him or maybe a parent…she wasn't too sure).

"Nope, they'll have anything we might need there, so you don't have to bring clothing or food. Though, you could bring that book if you want. I don't know how long we'll stay." Hermione pondered what he had just said…"they" means other people. She smiled. She liked Merlin well enough. He was definitely a good friend, but she was tired of only ever seeing him.

"Ok, then." She tucked her book under her arm. "Let's go!" Merlin gave her another cheerful smile. She never did tire of seeing his smiles. They were always warm and gave her a feeling of belonging and home.

"This way," Merlin directed her. She sure was enthusiastic, already demanding they go. An image of another demanding friend came to mind, and he pushed the memories back, not wanting to dwell on his long gone friend. One last thought drifted unwillingly to the front of his mind – his other friend sure had sure been a prat, a lovable, loyal prat, but a prat nonetheless, altogether much different from his new friend who was also loyal and kind and good, but decidedly not a prat. And yes, he did consider Hermione a friend. She was a bit young, but he appreciated having someone to talk to. He hadn't realized how lonely and isolated he had been until these last few days.

They had gone quite a way when Hermione started to try and wheedle information from him about where they were going. "So 'they', huh?" she drawled trying to keep the curiosity off her face. "Who exactly are we going to see?" She glanced at him as they walked. He allowed a small smile to form on his face. Her antics were amusing. He'd give her that, at least.

"Hmm, I guess you'll see when we get there, won't you?" Merlin raised a brow as she pouted.

Hermione continued trying to get anything she could out of Merlin, but he deflected her queries easily. Finally, she gave up and seemed content at just glaring at him every so often. He in return would give her a few cheeky grins, knowing that it was driving her crazy.

They soon entered a part of the Forest of Dean that felt odd. The magical presence here was much greater than normal. A mysterious feeling emitted from the rocks and trees. The presence of ancient power washed over her senses. It was not unlike the first time she met Merlin. Speaking of Merlin, he appeared to be moving quicker. She ran to catch up, but crashed into his back as he stopped suddenly.

"Welcome to Puzzle Wood, Hermione." He gave her a smile. "A place where old magic remains as well as being the hidden home of the Druids."

"Druids?" Hermione frowned. Her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Yes, the druids live here and have for centuries. They have free reign to move about in the hidden caves."

"You've taken me to see the druids? That's neat…I think. What are they?"

Merlin stared at her for a moment. 'She doesn't know who the druids are?!' he thought. He was bewildered by this piece of information, until he remembered she didn't grow up in the magical world and even if she did, it would have been possible for her not to know.

"I suppose it's my fault for not explaining. The druids are followers of the old magical ways, like me, but they band together and form a group where anyone is accepted who has belief in the old religion. I spent some time among them long ago, but it's been a while since I visited. Figured now was as good of time as any."

"So, they're magical like you and me."

"Yep! They'll be glad to take us in for a few days." Merlin grabbed her hand and started pulling her down a slight incline towards an opening in the earth.

"Wait! A few days?" Hermione gasped as they flew through the opening. It was dark and cool. She blinked a few times trying to allow her eyes time for adjustment to the cave.

As her eyes adjusted, she noticed that they were not alone. People were in the cave. They wore odd clothes and had symbols tattooed to their skin as well as many of them had pendants made out of stone or wood hanging around their necks. An old man stepped forward.

"Welcome, Emrys." He stated clearly. "What do we owe for this pleasure?" He gave a half bow. "And you have brought company, I see."

Merlin nodded. "Calatin, it's nice to see that you're still here. This is Hermione. She's staying with me." The man, Calatin, merely inclined his head.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hermione. May your stay among our people be enlightening. I presume you are staying, yes?"

"We will be staying here for a bit," Merlin affirmed.

"Good. We will prepare you some food, and then we may talk." Calatin motioned for them to follow him to the back of the cave. A young girl walked up to them and gave slight bow. "This is Keena," Calatin said, "she would be happy to show Hermione around, while food is being prepared." Hermione looked at Merlin uncertainly.

Keena appeared to be around her age with light brown hair and blue eyes. She didn't seem threatening at all, but Hermione wasn't certain of wandering off without Merlin.

"It's fine. Go off and have fun." Merlin gave her a nudge. "Why don't you ask any questions you might have about the druids? This is a good opportunity." Hermione glared at Merlin before nodding to Keena.

"Ok, if you don't mind, we can explore." Hermione hesitantly smiled at the girl who nodded and grabbed her hand all the while wondering what Merlin had gotten her into this time, first magic and now this.

**(1) To raise (up)**


	4. Chapter 4 - Secrets

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or Merlin.

**A/N**: I am so sorry this is so late. Life just happened. I've been traveling among other things. I will try to get the next one on time! And for those of you who are curious. I am planning to have Hermione go to Hogwarts eventually!

**Chapter 4**

Hermione had learned a lot about the druids over the last few hours. She enjoyed spending time with Keena too. She hadn't realized how little contact she had with anyone outside of Merlin these last couple of weeks and having someone else to talk with was more than enjoyable to say the least. The druids were a peaceful people, slow to anger and careful to attack, but they did not have a history free of violence. When it came to defending their beliefs and the old ways, they could be ruthless if they needed to. But as of now-a-days, they were a calm and peaceful people that did not get involved with modern day affairs. They stayed hidden from the world and protected their traditions from those who wished to use them for harm or desired to destroy their way of life.

She found everything about them incredibly fascinating. The only problem was that Merlin had been acting strangely. He was even more secretive than usual and that worried her. He had been talking to Calatin since they arrived and whenever she or anyone drew close they stopped talking. Something was going on and she couldn't figure out what it was. The only thing she was able to pick up was that it was about the forest. Her mind kept retreating to thoughts of her parents. She had a suspicion that not everything was normal in the Forest of Dean, and she decided then and there that she had a right to know as her parents were most likely victims of this conspiracy. She still had nightmares of their screams. They lingered in the back of her mind even when she was awake. It was like she was being haunted. At times, a feeling that something was incredibly wrong would wash over her.

She shook her head trying to dispel her thoughts and looked over to Keena. It was supper time. She was learning that the druids were very communal and that they did most everything in community or in small groups. This aspect of their society included cooking and eating together. Some of the older women had them running around gathering ingredients and taking them to different work tables or caldrons during meal preparation.

It was nice, knowing that she had been a part of creating something, even if it was just cooking a meal. The stew tasted so much better with that knowledge. She briefly wondered if that was why Merlin always cooked, and decided it was best not to look too much into Merlin's housekeeping habits as he could be a bit strange with them. He always mumbled to himself when he did them. She thought him slightly mad, especially, when he started muttering how he wasn't a prat and not to shout his name. Perhaps he didn't always live by himself and these other people would insult him at times. She wasn't too sure about anything involving Merlin and his strange habits.

"You look like you've got something on your mind." Keena broke through her thoughts. "You keep looking at Emrys with these odd expressions."

Hermione shot a sharp glance at her companion. "I'm just thinking. I'm not looking at anything in particular. You must be mistaken. And anyway who's 'Emrys', I've certainly never heard that name before…"

Keena looked mildly amused. "Did he not tell you what we call him?"

"He who?" Hermione's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Emrys is Merlin's druid name," Keena whispered to her playfully.

She sputtered indignantly. "I certainly was not looking at _Merlin_! Why would I do such a thing?!" Hermione decided to keep her glance firmly away from Merlin and his infuriating secretive conversation with the druid leader from now on.

Keena gave her a knowing glance. "Merlin is a powerful secretive person. Most tend to be curious about his doings."

"Well, I'm not. He can do what he wants!" Hermione set her empty bowl down the spoon smacking against the side. She crossed her arms and glared sulkily at the wall.

Her new friend gave her a knowing look and shook her head at her stubborn friend. "If you're sure then…"

"I am." Hermione stated with force.

Keena nodded. "I'm finished eating if you want to wander for a bit."

"We haven't gone through the whole cave yet, have we? I guess we could head out and finish." Hermione glanced over to her discarded eating utensils. "Where do we put our dishes?"

Keena and Hermione quickly washed their dishes and put them in the "clean" pile. They were soon roaming the passageways and connecting caves. Hermione asking questions about each part of the cave and anything else that came to her or that she found interesting.

As they returned to the main area after exploring for a few hours, Merlin startled them.

"Don't sneak up on us!" Hermione glared at Merlin. "You really scared me."

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that. I was in that corner over there waiting to see how you were doing. You seemed to have toured most of the druid camp. That's impressive!"

Hermione sighed. "I suppose we did. What did you do? We saw you talking for a good amount of time with Calatin."

Merlin gave a goofy grin. "Yeah, just talked most of the time…really didn't do a whole lot. I'm sure what you did was a lot more interesting."

Hermione cursed him in her head. Her subtle dig for information failed. Perhaps…no, he couldn't purposefully be avoiding the topic of his conversation with the druid leader, could he? She gave him a careful glance. He still had that goofy grin of his plastered to his face. He had always seemed simple minded, but she had a feeling that there was more to him than what meets the eye. Appearances can be very deceiving. She just nodded absently to his queries about where she had gone.

"Hermione, earth to Hermione," Merlin broke through her musings, and she jumped as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You looked like you were lost inside your head. Figured I should help you out." He gave another cheeky grin, but she could see a trace of worry. "Nothing's happened, right? At least not anything bad?"

"I was thinking. That's all. Nothing to worry about." She replied evenly.

"Ok, then. I'll show you where we'll sleep tonight." Hermione glanced around and noticed Keena had left.

"Where'd Keena go?"

Merlin laughed. "She said that she needed to go check something. You'll see her before bed I expect."

Hermione frowned at him. She didn't remember Keena saying anything. "I didn't hear Keena leave. Are you sure that she said something?"

Merlin blinked a few times and directed her toward a passage on the right. "Yeah, she did. She mind spoke though, so I guess you didn't hear it." He looked thoughtful.

"Mind spoke? I have no idea what that is." Hermione looked frustrated. "It sounds like something you made up." She huffed.

Merlin looked amused and that made her even more irritated. "I see…I did not make it up, but we're going to have to work on that."

"Work on what?"

"You should have the ability to mind speak. It might take a while, but we should be able to draw it out."

"Are you serious?" Hermione thought about the implications of being able to speak to someone without using her voice.

"Completely." Merlin smiled. "We're here by the way."

Hermione looked up. They were in a large cavern. People were rolling out bedding and grabbing bundles from the far wall. A rosy fire danced and crackled to her right. There was singing. People hummed and sang to themselves, but instead of the different melodies clashing, they harmonized and echoed through the room. The humming and singing rose and fell. It felt magical, but of a different sort than the spells she cast. It struck into her mind and heart washing over her.

She remembered Merlin was beside her and looked over to see what his reaction was. Her eyes widened as he hummed along to his own tune watching her with oddly golden eyes as if he was doing magic.

"Druid magic," he murmured, still in tune with the strange music.

That caused more questions to blossom in Hermione's mind than before, but she decided to save them for later.

She did see Keena and was shown where the bedding was and how to set it up. Later that night after the music and slowly faded away, she drifted off to sleep.

The rest of the time with the druids was very productive. She learned more about their culture and joined Keena and some of the other children in lessons about harmony and earth magic. She figured out that the druids enjoyed doing magical rituals through song. It was hard at first trying to open her mind and magic, allowing her to feel the rituals and the earth, but she slowly became attuned to how things worked. The druids blessed many things during different parts of the day. When they prepared the food they sang to the spirits of the animals they had hunted; when they awoke, they sang to the sun; when they walked through the forest, they thanked and blessed the trees and plants that sheltered them from the outside world; it was amazing.

She found herself sad that this was their last day among them, though Merlin did say that they'd be back soon. She hoped they would. She loved it here.

She sat next to Keena and helped prepare some of the vegetables they were going to put in a stew. An older woman sat across from them, keeping a close eye on their work.

Another woman walked over to them. Hermione thought her name might be Lila. "We need more water from the river, any volunteers?"

Hermione jumped up. "I'll do it."

The woman nodded. "Here's the bucket. You can find the river, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good."

Hermione ran towards where she knew the cavern's exit was.

"No running." The woman called after her, and she slowed down.

The bucket swung around as she tried to quickly reach the river. She was soon there. Her bucket now full, she carefully walked back toward the cave when she heard voices. She froze then recognized Merlin and Calatin's voices. She let out a breath and moved toward where she thought they were. As she moved closer, she realized that this conversation sounded serious. She paused to listen.

"Are you sure they're in the forest…they haven't been here in a long while." Calatin was saying.

"Yes, I did some looking after the attack. They're his ex-followers alright. We may need to force them out of the forest before more people die.

Hermione's mouth dropped. Wait…they couldn't be talking about what had happened to her and her parents, could they? She crept closer, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

"I suppose it might be for the best if we push them out. I dislike making our presence known, even for something like this, though if it must be done, it must be done."

"So I can count on your help then, Calatin."

"Of course, Emrys, you know that we will always come to your aid."

"Good."

"May I ask what you will do with the girl? She is welcome to stay here."

Hermione felt a little jolt down her spine. Was Merlin going to leave her? No, he can't do that! He wouldn't, right? Her ears strained for Merlin's response.

"I have grown used to her company. I don't wish to leave her anywhere just yet."

"I see…that is for you a highly unusual sentiment. I hope that everything works out in the end."

"Yes, I hope so too."

"And Emrys…be safe. Don't let them sneak up on you. You know their strength. And be wary of the full moon."

"I shall keep your words in mind. Thank you, Calatin for your hospitality."

Hermione heard rustling, and she tightened her hold on the bucket's wooden handle and sprinted toward the cave, all the while wondering what she had just heard.


	5. Chapter 5 - Confrontation

Disclaimer: I do not own...

A/N: I'm actually on time! I hope you like this next chapter. It's a bit longer than the others.

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**Chapter 5**

Secrets complicated everything. Hermione hadn't been able to get over the conversation she heard between Merlin and Calatin. She tried to confront Merlin numerous times, but so far, she hadn't been able to follow through as her resolve died every time she got close to asking. Secrets drove her crazy. It had already been a week, and they were now home. If she didn't find courage soon, she was going to scream. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. And the worst thing about it was that Merlin was an idiot.

He didn't notice her dilemma. The tension barely affected him. He was all smiles and jokes. She realized that he had no idea the trouble she'd been going through because of him. He made her so angry each and every time he gave her one of his impish smiles. Her mind kept screaming "idiot traitor, how dare you keep secrets about me and my parents".

She decided that today was going to be the day. She'd gather her courage and confront him. Secrets annoyed her, especially when they had to do with her and her family, well, now deceased family. She fought back her morbid thoughts and stomped to the house from her place in the forest (a fallen log in the shade of a tree by a small creek). She wouldn't back down this time. He'd regret ever keeping a secret from her after she was through with him.

As she pulled open the door and entered, she noticed the smell of potions, and Merlin brewing and stirring a two cauldrons throwing in different ingredients. It reminded her of how magical he and this home were. His head turned slightly towards her, but his hands moved skillfully never missing a beat. He had once told her that his guardian used to brew medicinal potions and that making and creating different potions calmed him as it reminded him of his long dead guardian. She got the impression that this guardian was more of a father figure. She had wondered sadly what happened to his actual parents.

She took a deep breath. Now was not the time to wander down memory lane. If she wasn't going to confront him now, she doubted that she'd work up the courage to do so later.

"You look deep in thought. Something bothering you?" Merlin moved to drop in another ingredient and gave the potion on the right a few stirs. He moved skillfully to the cutting board and lifted it and its contents up and poured whatever he had chopped into the cauldron on the left. She noticed it bubbling and a nice aroma rose from it.

This was her opening, her chance to get some answers. "I heard something when we visited the druid camp and wanted to ask about it," she began carefully. She hesitated, waiting for his reaction.

He didn't seem to notice anything wrong and kept working, his hands moving with graceful ease. She briefly thought it a sin that a boy could move with such grace, until she reminded herself that usually Merlin was very clumsy.

"Ask away then. Was it something about earth magic? It came instinctively for me, but I grew up differently and always had an intuitive magic." He glanced back and gave her a cheeky grin before taking one cauldron off of a small medieval-looking burner setting it on the table and stirring it a couple more times humming idly to himself.

He was distracted. Perhaps she could catch him off guard and get a straight answer. At the oddest of times, he tended to speak in riddles. It drove her crazy.

"Do you know what's happening in the forest? I think that something is there, and it killed my parents." She tried to hold back the tears and remain clear headed, but her eyes were stinging. She was only seven after all, still a child, and thinking about her parents always upset her. It had only been about a month or so (she hadn't been keeping track of time), since they had been alive. She suspected that the reason she hadn't completely broke down was that she didn't really believe they were gone. She did grieve for a while, and she still wasn't right, but in her heart, Hermione Granger did not want to believe that they were dead.

With her hair now covering her face and her face pointed downward, she couldn't see Merlin, but she suspected that he was now starring at her. She fidgeted nervously. Why had she decided to do this? Now that she was here and finally confronting him she realized that she really didn't want to know anything after all. It wouldn't help any. But a deeper part whispered that if she didn't find out what was going on she would regret it. They were after all _her_ parents. And she was a victim too. Why oh why wasn't he saying anything. She glanced up through her bushy hair and saw that he was looking at her with a mixture of sadness and worry.

"Do you really want to know? If you do, I can explain some of it…but it isn't pleasant and I won't be telling you all of it. It's too much." His voice was quiet, barely louder than the simmering cauldron behind him.

She gulped down anger and resentment for being treated like a child and tried to use some of her keen intellect that her parents had kept raving about. It was probably really bad. He was trying to protect her, not treat her like a child. She _was_ a child; even if she was a bit smarter than the average one (at least she suspected she was, as her parents said her IQ was higher than most children and some adults). She took another deep breath, pushing away her fear and as much of her warring emotions as she could. It didn't completely work, but it was better than sobbing. She nodded, not trusting her voice.

She saw uncertainty cross over Merlin's features and knew that she'd have to do better. "I deserve to know," she said in a small voice her throat clogged with emotion and hoarse from trying to keep the tears away. She moved the hair away from her face and met his eyes, trying to show him her resolve. He searched her face, and she felt a flicker of worry knowing that her face was probably puffy and her eyes rimmed with red as she held back from sobbing uncontrollably. She noted with annoyance that her eyes were leaking, but refused to brush away the tears as she starred into Merlin's gaze.

He sighed and nodded. "Fine, I can see that you aren't going to let this go." He glanced at the cauldron still simmering and added something to it giving it a few stirs. He gently took it off the flame and set it beside the other one letting it settle. He sat down in one of the wooden chairs and motioned for her to take the other one when he saw she was still standing. "This might take a while and it'd be better if you were sitting for this."

She cautiously moved to take a seat. He murmured something under his breath and a handkerchief zoomed into his open hand. He handed it to her. She gratefully wiped the water off her face.

"So…is there anything specific you want to know?" Merlin awkwardly shifted in his chair.

She nodded. This was going to be hard. She could already tell. She bit her lip and clenched the handkerchief in her fists. "Who are they and why…why are they…doing…" she broke off and sniffled, bringing her knees to her chest. She felt so lost.

Merlin looked unsure of what to do. She realized that he must not be used to distressed children, and then wondered about her thoughts. He was a child himself. Why didn't she think of him as a child? He didn't act like a child, not even a child like her. It can't be the influence of the druids as none of the druid children were like him. Actually the druids seemed to respect and revere him. He had a different name among them too. Her mind tried to put pieces together, trying to solve the puzzle of Merlin. She couldn't do it, not now. Her mind and emotions jolted here and there. She couldn't concentrate on Merlin's strangeness now. She needed to focus on one thing at a time.

Merlin stood up and dragged his chair closer to her. He grasped her hands, pulling them gently from their death grip, tugging on the handkerchief and setting it on the table. "Breathe, Hermione. You're only seven. You don't need to know. It might be easier if you didn't. It's only been a month since your parents…well…since they've been gone. Are you absolutely sure you want to know the circumstances behind their…deaths." He barely spoke the last word as if saying it loudly would break her. Her magic physically retreated within her when he said it, so she supposed he realized how painful this conversation was.

"I need to know." She breathed out quickly. "They're not here, and I know I haven't accepted it yet. I still feel like they're going to be knocking on the door or I'm going to wake up in my bed. I have no idea what I'm even going to do with my life anymore. All I know is that I'm here and I have nowhere else to go. I'm scared, but trying to forget that I'm scared and helpless and can't do anything. I want my mum to hold me and tell me that everything's going to be alright and my dad to say that he'll always be by my side protecting me. I _need_ them…but they're gone and can't protect me. I have to figure this out. I'm still a child by anyone's standards, and I need someone to tell me what to do and explain things and help me, but I also need to know _who_ did this and _why_. Please if you can at least tell me those things…please." Hermione pulled her hands away from Merlin's and covered her hands into her face, starting to sob as her voice took on a hysterical edge. "I can still hear them screaming. I can see my mum's face."

She felt Merlin gently pull her off the chair and onto the ground into a hug. She didn't know how long she was crying, but his magic swept over her in a comforting way and drew her magic out of her, so that it was no longer curled insider of her. She soon found her weeping slowly reducing as she grew emotionally and physically exhausted; soon she was just sniffling and whimpering. She didn't let go of him, even though she knew it was time to get this over with. She heard him give a tiny sigh, and she broke away from the warmth and comfort of his hug. She really wanted her mum or dad, and it was bad to look at Merlin as someone to give comfort in their place. He wasn't much older than she was for goodness' sake.

"I'm sorry for breaking down." Her voice was thick with emotion, and he conjured a glass of water for her, pressing it into her hand.

"Shhh, it's ok. Drink this." She gulped it down quickly and choked, coughing and sputtering. "Slow down. It's not going to disappear." She gave a bashful nod and tried to adjust her drinking pace. He watched for a moment before saying, "I understand. You don't have to worry about your emotions. This is going to be tough, and I'm sorry if I'm not always sure of what to do in this situation. I'll do my best, but I may forget that you're still a child." Her brow furrowed. He'd been referring to her as a child and addressing her as if he was an adult…but that wasn't right. He didn't look too much older than her. She shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts. This was the second time she'd gotten lost on this track. She had to find out about the first problem and gain knowledge about what was going on, then she could concentrate on Merlin's secrets after she got used to the idea that she would never see her…her parents…again. Her eyes stung. If she kept thinking along those lines, she'd start crying again. She had to stop.

"I'm going to have to grow up anyway. It'll be best to start now." She whispered, ringing her hands as they settled in her lap.

Merlin shook his head, his eyes sad. "You don't have to grow up, at least, not completely."

"And if I want to?" she said, her voice small and quivering. Her whole body shook under the strain of trying to not cry.

Merlin gently reached over to stop her from ringing her hands again. He held her hands firmly in his grasp. "You don't really. Trust me…growing up is not fun. Once you do, all you'll want is to go back to blissful ignorance."

"I already want to go back, but I can't. Does that mean I'm growing up?"

His hands tightened over hers. "It might mean that."

They sat in silence for about a minute. Hermione gazed sadly out the window, while Merlin watched her face and waited patiently for her to come back to the present. The birds were singing and the sun was shining. The atmosphere outside contrasted with the tension and gloom indoors. He saw when her eyes became focused. She stared at his him and a determined look settled on her face, traveling from her eyes all the way down to the set of her chin. "Tell me."

Merlin sighed but knew exactly what she meant. "The people who attacked you and your parents were part of a group of followers that caused chaos in the wizarding world many years ago. They were followers of a dark wizard who promised them things. This dark wizard killed many people and hated those without magic." He watched her carefully, making sure she wasn't too confused and could understand what he was saying. "He disappeared and some of them, those that couldn't join or rejoin society, decided to find places where they could hide and cause mayhem."

"So you're saying that these followers of this dark wizard are the ones who attacked my parents, but why did they do it? You said that this dark wizard is gone…disappeared. It couldn't have been just for 'mayhem' as you put it." Hermione's face twisted in confusion. She tried to wrap her head around what she was hearing.

He grimaced. "They thrive on fear and mayhem and causing others pain. They are inhuman and most likely the ones you ran into weren't completely human. Their reason for attacking was for enjoyment and entertainment. Most of them are not sane."

Her body shook like a leaf in the wind, and her face turned green and then pale. "For entertainment? That's…" She choked on whatever she was going to say and sucked in a shuddering breath.

"It's sick. I know." Merlin's lips twisted into a disgusted frown, but patted her hand and carefully kept an eye on her expression.

Her mind raced and tried to comprehend everything she'd heard so far. "You said something about 'not completely human'. What does that mean?" She was absorbed by the facts and data, ignoring the pain and pretending that it wasn't something that affected her directly.

Merlin gave another sigh and shook his head. "By the…err…information, I suspect that these once followers were werewolves, which doesn't mean they're not human…it just complicates things."

Hermione soaked that bit up and tried to file away what she knew, so far. "I'm going to have to think about all of this. I might have more questions later…about everything…the dark wizard…these followers…werewolves."

"That's fine. I think right now it'd be good to get you some food and see if you can sleep. I have a potion that'll help with the latter." He pulled his hands away from hers and stood up, brushing off dust from his pants. He then offered a hand to Hermione, which she took gratefully and he pulled her up to a standing position. Soon she was tucked into bed after taking a sleeping potion.

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The next day Hermione woke with sore eyes and a headache. It took her a moment to remember yesterday's events, but when she did she wished she hadn't. It just made her headache worse. She really wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep without worries, but she'd never forgive herself if she did that. She was the one who asked, and she got her answer. Now it was time to live with the consequences of her knowledge. Anyway, wasn't there a saying about 'knowing thy enemy' or something to that extent? Those who attacked them in the forest were enemies. It was best to not stay ignorant of the facts.

"How are you feeling?" She opened her eyes and saw Merlin sitting on a chair with breakfast on the table.

"Truthfully, I don't feel so well, but it's my own fault." She clenched the blankets tightly and wrapped them further around her small frame. "How did you know I was awake?" She peered curiously from under the covers.

He smiled tiredly. "Your magic flared when you woke." He got up and started moving things from the table. "You should come and eat. I doubt you ate much of anything yesterday."

She nodded and crawled out from underneath her covers, missing the warmth and safety when she did. Merlin pulled out a chair, and she sat gingerly. He plopped a plate piled with an odd assortment of foods. Hermione hadn't realized how hungry she was, until she saw her breakfast. Her stomach growled loudly in appreciation, and she dug in. "Slow down." Merlin said laughingly. "I'm not going to take it away." She made an effort to chew her food slower. She swallowed and glanced at him.

"What are you going to do about them?" Her voice was quiet, but steady.

Merlin looked down at her sharply. "What makes you think I'm going to do anything at all?"

She mulled this over, trying to weigh her words. "I think you will. I overheard you and Calatin. It sounded as if you had something planned, something to keep the forest and those who inhabit it safe. That and you promised me. You promised to help." There was a vulnerable edge to her last words.

"I did, didn't I? I'll still help, and I'll keep my promise, but now is not the time to discuss any of my plans. I know you're angry and hurt, but you'll have to trust me. This is a lot larger than it looks, and highly dangerous." He appeared firm in his decision, so Hermione decided she shouldn't push him. She calmly went back to eating her breakfast. He sighed in relief and picked up a few (now empty) dishes and placed them in the basin. She mused to herself that it hadn't taken her a long time to get used to using everything the old fashioned way. She suppressed a chuckle. Merlin sure looked funny when he struggled with the pump.

"You do know you have magic?" Hermione smirked as he lifted the pump again with an audible groan of frustration.

He shot her a dirty look. "Of course I know…" He coughed awkwardly and mumbled something that she couldn't hear so well. The pump moved up and down on its own. He looked away avoiding her gaze as she burst out laughing. "Oh shut up, I forgot that's all." He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted, making him look more like the child he was.

"Relax Merlin, I was just teasing." He glared at her for a moment longer and then rolled his eyes. He turned and started cleaning up, but this time using his magic. Her thoughts went back to her parents and those who would pay for what they did. Merlin said he'd keep his promise. He'd help her take them down. She'd just have to wait and not be too impatient. In the meantime…maybe she could figure out why Merlin was so different than anyone she had ever known.

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Please review if you have a chance!


	6. Chapter 6 - Magic

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Merlin or Harry Potter.

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter. It's a little late, but not by too much. I'll try to keep updating on Thursdays, but next week is really busy, so if I'm not able to update then. I will try to do so during the weekend. Hope you enjoy! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews. I really do appreciate them. I also thank everyone who has favorited or followed this story.

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**Chapter 6**

Merlin had been trying to distract her ever since she had her melt down. He was teaching her how to brew some of the simpler potions. He'd given her an herb book and kept drilling her on each and every herb in it. She had to admit that it really was a good distraction. That and she absolutely loved books and learning. Merlin admitted to her several times that he found potion making relaxing, and she realized that it really was therapeutic. It also helped that she was a quick learner and was progressing rapidly. It made her feel accomplished when she was actually able to do something useful.

She also was able to perform many of the simpler spells in the ancient looking spell book Merlin had given her. It took a lot of concentration for many of them, so she didn't feel as accomplished as she did when brewing and gathering herbs. Merlin showed her a number of meditation techniques that the druids used to help gather magic in order to help her with her spell work, as he believed it wasn't so much her concentration on the spell as on using and molding her magic. She hoped he was right and that it'd get easier.

Right now, she was in the kitchen making a weak poultice for runny noses. He told her that she never had to worry about making something they wouldn't use as he could just sell whatever excess they had. She was very curious about where and how he would sell everything, but he had been very cryptic, and she decided that she'd leave him alone after she had extracted a promise that he'd have to tell her all about it later, of course.

As much as Merlin tried to distract her from everything, she still wasn't alright. She couldn't stop thinking about dark lords and evil followers. They had briefly talked about it further, but she knew that he was leaving details out of their conversations. He did explain about how nothing was ever black and white or good and evil in that conversation. Funny thing about that is, for some reason, she understood. She thought that her understanding could have something to do with her time learning with the druids. They were all about balance and tradition. Everything had a bit of magic and this magic balanced the world and everything in it. She didn't profess to comprehend the exact belief, but she still was able to work out quite a bit of how it worked. She hoped to work out the rest as she grew older.

She smiled. Her poultice was finished. She glanced over to Merlin giving him a beaming smile. "It's done. How did I do?"

Merlin turned from his own work to assess her finished product. He made a show of checking it very carefully, and she rolled her eyes at his antics. "Just tell me if I did alright or not…this doesn't have to be a big production."

"Fine, fine." He waved his hand in the air in a dismissing fashion. "You're no fun." He pouted slightly. "This one is even better than the last one and you know that one was near perfect."

She glowed under the praise. "So it's perfect then?" She questioned.

"As close to perfect as you can get."

She squealed in delight. She loved doing something well. "What's next?" She asked eagerly.

He sighed and shook his head. "Only you would want another project to work on."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Come on, Merlin…I want to learn more and I've already gone through both the books you gave me. What else is there to do?"

He imparted an amused look and responded, "How about you collect some Chamomile and Anise from the forest? The herbal stores are running a little thin. Once you collect enough I'll show you how to prepare them. You know what they look like, right?"

She snorted. "Of course, I do. I've memorized that herb book you gave me from front to back. The chamomile plant has a white pedaled flower with a yellow center, while the anise herb has small star shaped flowers and flat, feathery leaves. Anise also tastes like licorice..."

"Ok, I believe you know what you're talking about. Go on and find them then." He started to shoo her toward the door. "If you have a chance, you might want to practice some of you meditations, while you're out. It's a good opportunity to do it, while your herb hunting."

She exited swiftly grabbing a basket by the door and resolved that while she was out she would work on her meditation too.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and it was warm. The end of summer was approaching quickly. It'd been about three months since her parents died, and it was now the middle of August. Her birthday was about a month away. She blinked back tears. She always spent the day with her parents. As an only child, they tended to spoil her rotten when it was a birthday or holiday. She sighed and sat down in a small clearing. She closed her eyes and tried to keep the sadness away. It never seemed to get any better.

She took a deep breath and gently tugged at her magic, letting it course through her. She allowed her senses to slowly expand, drawing magic from the air and the natural world. This was earth magic in its purest form. She gathered the magic around her and practiced letting it go and drawing it in. The air felt heavy with pulsing magic. She kept her breath steady, knowing that it was easier controlling and molding it if she was relaxed. Her senses were slowly overtaken by the shear amount of magical pressure surrounding the area and she worked on easing it.

Her eyes opened carefully remembering that the first time she had tried this she had been nearly blinded by the light the magic emitted. Her eyes were finally opened and if anyone were to pass by, they might wonder why or how a little girl could have glowing gold eyes. Her eyes flashed and pulsed gold as she tried to control the magic around her, but still allow it freedom to move through her in a natural way. She hummed and chanted a few simple druidic exercises before singing a song about the wind and allowing the breeze to whip around her. The breeze soon grew into a strong wind, but instead of causing her discomfort, it drew around her and the magic in it danced. She sang again and again allowing the words to rise out from somewhere in side of her.

'Eil thu èisteachd 'ille  
'Eil thu èisteachd a thasgaidh?  
'Eil thu èisteachd' ille  
Do'n fhuaim a tha nad chridh?  
Eil thu èisteachd' ille  
Gu fuaim a tha mar chaoidh?  
O èist, èist, èist  
Do ghuthan air a ghaoith.

Tighinn air a' mhuir  
O, tighinn thar a' chuain  
A seòladh thar nam beanntan  
Air sgiath cho geal, cho glan  
Tha e tighinn thugainn,  
Mar ospag air a ghaoith  
O seinn! Seinn! Seinn!  
An ceòl ur againn fhìn

[Are you listening lad/boy  
Are you listening, darling?  
Are you listening lad  
To the sound that's in your heart?  
Are you listening lad  
To the sound that is like keening?  
O listen listen listen  
To voices on the wind

Coming on the sea  
Coming on the ocean  
Sailing over the mountains  
On wings, so white, so fresh  
It is coming to us  
Like a whisper on the wind  
O sing sing sing  
Our own new music] **(1)**

She knew somehow that it was in Gaelic, but she didn't know how or why. Soon it was over and the wind danced around her one last time before fading into a breeze. She let go of the magic and her eyes became their natural hazel brown again.

Hermione felt calm and comfortable for the remainder of her time herb hunting. She easily found both the chamomile and the anise, and had started walking back towards home, when she felt a presence. It didn't feel like a bad presence exactly, but she wasn't about to take any chances, so she ran. As she ran, she heard something behind her.

Her heart was racing, and she was gulping down air. Her feet pounded into the dirt. She was so close, but it was then when she stumbled. Her basket fell and she collided with the ground. She heard a twig snap and then a voice.

"Hey, I think this might be her!"

She winced. The man had yelled it out very loudly. A faint call was returned, but it was too hard to hear over the pounding of her heart.

"You alright?" She studied the beefy man before her. He was overweight and balding. She noticed that he was wearing a uniform that had "park security" or something to that extent labeled on his shirt. She blinked stupidly. Another man lumbered behind this one, tripping over a twig.

"Frank, is it her?"

"Yeah, I think so…looks like the picture. And anyway, how many little girls would be wandering around the forest without an adult?"

"That's true I 'spose." The man rubbed his nose and sneezed.

"Hello, Hermione, I'm Frank Pike and this is Gerald Swinson. We're here to take you back home. You have some very worried relatives. I'm sure you know your Aunt Susan and Uncle Barry, right?"

Hermione remembered them. She had only met them once or twice. Susan was her mother's cousin. She didn't like either of them very much. Susan was pudgy and smelled of fish. She always complained, and when she wasn't complaining, she was bragging. Uncle Barry wasn't much better. She remembered the tall thin man talking about money and how prudent they were with it. She did not want to see them. She highly doubted that they wanted to see her either, but how to get out of this situation…

She widened her eyes and gave her best innocent and frightened look (which wasn't too hard as she had already looked scared out of her wits). "I don't know them. My name is Sarah."

Both men stiffened and did not look too happy with her. "Now, no lies," the one called Frank said. "You are the spitting image of this picture. See?" He held up a photo of Hermione aged six in her school uniform.

"That's not me, though I do admit that it's an incredible likeness."

Frank gave her a glare. "If it's not you, then what are you doing here without your parents?" My parents are close by. I can lead you to them if you like."

Gerald huffed a bit. "Let's just follow her. If it's the wrong child then we might get in trouble, and there's no harm in having a look."

"Fine. Let's get this over with." Frank gestured that she should stand up. "Go on. We're following you."

Hermione nodded and started to lead them towards home, desperately trying to get in touch with her magic in order to mind speak. "Merlin" she called in her head over and over again like a mantra. In what felt like ages, she felt a prickling sensation in the back of her mind that became clearer and clearer, until she heard a whisper of her name. She concentrated on her magic and strengthened the link.

"Hermione? What's wrong?"

"Merlin, there are two men here that want to take me and put me with my relatives. I need help. I don't know how to get rid of them. I'm heading home now."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay with your family?"

"They are not my family. At the moment, you and the druids are more like my family than they are."

There was an overbearingly long pause after her statement, and she worried that the connection between their minds slipped. Just as she was on the verge of panicking, she heard him say, "I'll be there in a moment. I won't let them take you."

Her heart leapt. His words echoed in her head. He wouldn't let them take her. A small smile formed on her lips. She had a home with him, and she wasn't going to let anyone take away her family again.

**(1) This song is called Guthan Air A' Ghaoith. I do not own.**

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	7. Chapter 7 - Accidents and Suspicions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Merlin!**

A/N: I'm sorry this is so late. This week has been crazy and the next week may be just as bad, so we'll see if I can get another chapter out next Thursday. Though after next week, my schedule will _hopefully_ clear up considerably. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and encouragement! They always make me smile and want to continue with the story...though life sometimes gets in the way! Hope you enjoy.

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**Chapter Seven**

Merlin ran toward Hermione. He could sense her presence close to the rock formation near his house. He remembered what she had said about how he was part of her family now. He had missed this feeling of belonging to a family. The druids were never exactly family to him. They were more neighbors and a fragment of the once glorious past of ancient magicks, just as he was. Hermione thought he was a part of her family though, and he hadn't thought of anyone as a family member or a friend, since Arthur and the Knights had died.

He would protect her. And he wouldn't let them take her away…he wouldn't let anyone take her away, unless she wanted to leave. He felt a painful prick in his heart as he thought about her leaving. He was getting too attached, but there was no way to stop it now…and truthfully, he really didn't want to.

His feet pounded on the forest floor as he raced towards the only one alive who he was able to call family. Well, except for maybe Kilgharrah, but their relationship had always been a bit strange. And he considered him in a similar manner to the druids, a part of the past and a part of old magic, but not much more than that. He was close now. He heard voices that he didn't recognize. Hermione was definitely up ahead. It was time to save her.

* * *

Hermione walked next to Frank and Gerald trying to keep them distracted, even though she knew that it wasn't working so well. They started questioning her a minute or two ago, and they weren't stopping. Their suspicions hindered her stalling, and they looked like they had about enough of her saying "We're close. My parents should be just a little farther."

"Ok, little miss. I think we've had 'nough of your gallivanting. It's time to get you to your relatives." Gerald stated in a no nonsense tone and directed her towards where she knew the path and the campground were. She panicked.

"Oh, but it's only a bit farther. You wouldn't want to bring the wrong kid back, would you?" She inched away from them hoping that if they didn't buy her lies, she could at least run from them.

Frank stepped directly into her escape path giving her a shrewd look. She knew that he had done it on purpose. And she had thought that he was the idiot one…too bad. This complicated things.

"I swear…it's just over there." Hermione pointed toward the direction of home. They had to believer her…or Merlin had better come quickly.

Frank ran a hand through his thinning hair and sighed. "It's time to get you out of these woods. Don't you want to go home? We'll explain everything to you when we get back to the campground. You're looking for your parents aren't you? It's all going to be ok. Your Aunt and Uncle will talk to you all about it."

This did not reassure Hermione at all. She wanted to get away even more. She didn't need anyone explaining to her about where her parents were or about what's going on. All she wanted was to see Merlin and curl up with a book with him close by. She desperately wanted to feel safe and to be home.

She noticed Frank trying to herd her into the direction that Gerald had been leading her towards. "Don't worry. Everything 'll be fine." Gerald had been saying. She decided not to stick around. She bolted to the left, knowing that home was to the right, but Frank had been too close to safely run that way.

"Hey, stop!" She heard rustling and the loud thwack of footsteps on the hard ground, snapping twigs and crushing underbrush. They kept yelling at her to stop. No way in hell was she going to stop now. It really was too bad that she tripped and they caught up with her. She cursed her clumsiness as they grabbed her. 'Merlin's curse of always tripping over things must be contagious.' She thought before the fear took over her brain function.

She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Let me go. Let me go let me go let me go." She wasn't sure how long she kept it up until a burst of magic came from inside of her and pushed both of them away from her. They looked dazed, but they were still standing. Unfortunately, she felt exhausted and could barely stumble her way randomly forward, unsure of where she was going.

She felt a beefy hand grab her arm and resigned herself to being taken away. She lurched forward as the world spun. She heard a voice in the back of her head, but it was fuzzy like a radio station that you could only catch snatches of, the rest being static. The hand was gone, and she fell to her knees. She turned her head and saw Merlin. She had never seen him like this before. His hands moved in odd, but powerful gestures. His eyes flashed gold and his face was a mask of rage. He looked like someone about to charge into battle.

The earth was quaking, and his voice rose above the noise, cutting through the fuzziness of her brain. She couldn't understand the incantation, but she knew that whatever spell he cast, it was ancient and deep. She tried her best to keep her focus on him, but her eyes drooped and her exhaustion caught up with her as one thought coursed through her mind – "I'm safe".

* * *

Hermione slowly woke up confused and disoriented wondering where she was. She tried to remember what happened. Her eye lids were thick, and her brain felt like it was mush. She tried to blink. Her mind moved slower than the sap of the allusive Weeping Willow, cousin of the volatile Whomping Willow, until it reached its usual pace. It was then she realized what had happened. She lurched up and groaned allowing herself to fall back on the pillows. The world was spinning. She must have done something when she threw those men away from her.

"How are you feeling?" She heard Merlin's quiet voice murmur. "You're suffering from magical exhaustion. Can you sit up and drink this?" Her eyes cracked open and saw that he was sitting next to the bed, holding a foul smelling potion. She grimaced, but dutifully albeit reluctantly made a grab for the potion. Merlin held it out of her reach before she was able to wrap her hands around the cup. He shot her an amused look.

"You need to sit up first. I won't have it spilling all over you _and_ the bed. It would be a pain to clean up." Hermione's lips drew down into a frown at Merlin's smirk. Her mind jolted as she suddenly realized that he was right. Her cheeks flushed red, and the frown lifted into a pout.

"Of course." She mumbled and struggled to sit up. Merlin decided to take pity on her and help her into an upright position. He handed her the potion.

"Drink up." He gave her an upbeat grin, but she could see the lingering worry in his eyes. It was a little touching…knowing he cared enough to worry, not that she'd ever admit that she found it touching. She eyed the potion with distaste. This was going to be horrid, wasn't it? She glanced over at Merlin again. He watched her in anticipation. "Come on…we don't have forever. We need your magic reserves back to normal if I'm going to teach you defensive and offensive magic."

Her heart leapt. "You're going to teach me more magic?" She asked, hoping it wasn't too good to be true.

"Yep, after everything that happened, you're going to need some training, though I don't plan on only training you in that branch of magicks…there are others that you would benefit from that after your recent display of power, you are about ready for."

She frowned. "I wasn't able to do anything, and I only pushed them back with my magic. It really wasn't powerful at all. Wait…does that mean I'm really not ready for training?"

Merlin blinked at her and chuckled. Hermione's gut twisted in anger. He was making fun of her! Merlin noticed her expression and tried to muffle his laughter. "You have no idea what you did, do you?"

She glared at him angrily. "I have no idea what you're on about," she spat, annoyed with his apparent amusement at her failure.

His face masked into a somber expression when he saw how hurt she was over his amusement, though a hint of his mirth could still be traced in his eyes. "You really don't, do you? Well then…you'll be happy to know that your magical outburst did a lot more than push back those men."

"What?" Hermione asked with a mixture of shock and curiosity. "But they were able to grab me. I wasn't able to incapacitate them in any way."

Merlin shook his head. "That's where you're wrong, Hermione." He smiled, his eyes coming alight with his mirth. "Your magic altered their minds. You or rather your magic erased any memory of ever meeting you. It was strong enough that I highly doubt that they even remember that they were supposed to be looking for a missing girl. And even when told of you by others, it is likely that their mind will make them forget any information about you too. Those two will never remember you."

Hermione was shocked. She performed mind magic accidentally? Well, her magic technically rose up and did it, but still, how was that possible?

Merlin replied to her unspoken question with an open expression and a smile. "Your magical power is growing and with that your ability to use more powerful magic. And that's not mentioning your brilliant and highly organized mind. This was only possible because of these things. Also, knowing how to mind speak helps exponentially with any sort of mind magic." He grinned cheekily at her. "Now, no more stalling and drink that potion, young lady."

She stuck out her tongue, but hurriedly gulped down the foul smelling potion, all while holding her nose. The taste was just as bad as the smell…like dirty socks and moldy decomposing food with a hint of something she couldn't even describe because it tasted that nasty. She choked it down. It did not help that it was chunky as she forced her gag reflex under control. Merlin thrust a glass of water into her hands after the potion was gone, and she didn't even have time to contemplate how it had seemingly appeared from thin air before she was gulping the water down greedily. She desperately wanted the taste in her mouth gone.

"Easy there…we don't want you to drown." Merlin patted her back as she coughed up a bit of water that she had forced down too fast. She nodded and sipped at what was left at the water. The potion's taste still lingered in her mouth, and she really wished she could find a way to get rid of it.

Merlin took the glass from her and held out a hand. "Let's get some food in you and then see how you're feeling. Maybe we can practice some magic…or at least do some theorizing if you're up to it." He eyed her critically noticing her pale, drawn face. "Though we may have to wait 'til tomorrow. You don't look so good."

She rolled her eyes at his worry. "I'll be fine. I _am_ starving, so food would be good. It'll help me regain my stamina. At least, I think it will." She wobbled precariously as Merlin pulled her to her feet. He steadied her and then led her to the table holding onto her in order to make sure she didn't fall. She sank into one of the chairs as he plopped a plate down in front of her loaded with food. A bowl full of the grayish lumpy liquid that had a similar look to porridge sat next to the plate.

"Eat the pottage first. It'll give you the right nutrients and will help with your stamina," he said as he set a glass of something she could not identify on the table and pushed the bowl of 'pottage' toward her. She reached for the glass and sipped. Her brows furrowed. She'd never tasted anything like this. The liquid warmed the back of her throat pleasantly, but the bitter taste was not so great, though it did help with the lingering nastiness of the potion. She took a spoonful of whatever it was in the bowl. The 'pottage', as Merlin had called it, was very plain and didn't really have much favor, but it wasn't too bad. She scarfed it down quickly and took a long drink from the liquid. Her nose wrinkled as her throat burned again.

"Slow down, Hermione." Merlin watched her bemusedly. "The food won't disappear." He handed her a scrap of cloth to wipe her mouth on.

She snatched it and wiped her mouth. Her face grew warm with embarrassment. She tried to distract herself by asking a question. "So what's this drink? I've never had anything like it before."

"For real? It was a staple for me when I was a kid." He frowned in confusion. She nodded and waited for him to continue his train of thought. His mind wandered to his childhood and his mother. A small smile formed on his lips as he remembered all the good times. They were poor but happy.

Hermione hated to interrupt his musings, but was too curious for her own good and wasn't sure when Merlin would surface again, so she poked him in the shoulder and said, "So what is it?"

He jumped about a foot and realized that he had forgotten where he was. He berated himself internally for his inattention to his surroundings. If something had happened, Hermione would have been in serious danger. "Sorry…got lost in my thoughts. It is ale weakened with water. Drank it all the time when I was your age…for breakfast when we had it, dinner, and supper."

"Ale? That's odd. No child drinks that. Why would you?" Hermione wondered not for the first time about Merlin's upbringing.

"Is that not the common norm anymore? Do people drink wind instead now-a-days? Only the wealthy drank wine where I grew up, but I guess things are different. The ale has been on the table every meal; since you came here…I'm surprised that you haven't mentioned it before now, since apparently it's not so common." Merlin scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ah, I always drank water from the pump. I never even thought about the pitcher on the table." She thought carefully on what he had said. "We don't drink alcohol until we are eighteen. Is it different elsewhere? Perhaps it is different among wizards." She looked expectantly at Merlin.

He sighed and averted his eyes to the ceiling. "I'm not sure about the wizard norm. They do have a different culture than non-wizards, but I have not been among them in a long while. Truthfully, I tend to avoid wizard society. It's too painful. The last I remember was the statute of secrecy being passed, and then I couldn't handle watching anymore. I still go check up on them every so often, but I don't really participate in their culture much."

Her eyes sized him up and appeared cold and calculating. He shivered. What was she thinking? He soon found out…

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	8. Chapter 8 - Figuring out Merlin

Disclaimer: I do not own...

A/N: Here is the next chapter! A big thank you to those who favorited or followed my story. I hope you guys are liking it! I should have the next chapter up by next Thursday. If you have any questions or suggestions, review and I'll do my best to answer and consider.

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**Chapter 8**

Merlin shivered as Hermione watched him. Something was going on in her head, and he had no idea what it was. He was tempted to break the silence, but doing so might not release the tension building up…and he wasn't even sure he wanted to know what she was thinking with _that_ look on her face.

"What are you?" Hermione asked cautiously. Merlin went rigid. _What_ exactly was she asking? He gave her a blank look.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He glanced away and fidgeted slightly under her glare. He wondered why she was affecting him this much. He was Merlin, one of the most powerful Warlocks of his time! So why was he so nervous in front of a little girl? Arthur would have knocked him on his ass for this. Probably would have called him a pansy too. So old that he couldn't even remember his own age, but scared by a little girl? He really had fallen from grace…but Hermione's stare was scary.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about? You must be joking! You are _obviously_ not what you seem. You speak and act much older than you look, and if even half of what you say about your past is true, then you've also done too much for your what? Eight years?" Hermione shook her head in frustration. "You may be like family to me, but I can't stand having this secret of yours come between us. Tell me what you are." Her eyes blazed, and she crossed her arms. She glared at him, silently insinuating that she was not going to back down. Well, at least he now knew what she wanted to know. He could have been a little more careful with his secrets, but who was he kidding, he really didn't try to hide anything from her. He didn't even think of it as a secret. It was more like something he just never talked about with her. He really didn't like talking about his past very much. He often referred to it if he needed to get a point across, but he hated remembering it. Though, he could never forget it either.

"I understand now. You want to know my age and why I look like I'm eight or nine. I'm warning you now that I don't enjoy explaining my…circumstances, but I will do my best. I will leave some parts out as I don't think I _could_ explain everything and would rather not anyway. Also, it's not a secret, and I wasn't trying to purposefully keep it from you. I just tend to avoid the topic and wouldn't voluntarily start a conversation about my past and my condition." He took a deep breath. "Does that all make sense?"

Hermione nodded her head. He face had relaxed, and she looked calmer and happier. She took a sip of the watered down ale, and turned her full attention onto him. Her eyes were eager as she waited for him to explain himself.

Merlin took a deep breath and began. "I was born sometime late in the 11th century. My mother and I were poor…very, very poor. We owned nothing and had little food to eat. She sent me away to Camelot when I was on the threshold of becoming a man to stay with a friend of hers. His name was Gaius. He was like a father figure. I didn't know my father, you see. I met him later, but he died right after…I wish I knew him better. But I suppose I'm getting off track. You wanted to know what I am, right? I'm human, though I do have a lot of quirks that regular humans don't have. I'm a priest of old magicks and have abilities that at times seem to surpass even my own knowledge. I can see that you think I'm telling you lies. Don't deny it. I can see it on your face. I _am _Merlin, the great and powerful ancient sorcerer. I know that I look like a child, but that night…the night when we first met is when a ritual was performed, one that takes place every five hundred years or so at the end of spring and beginning of summer. The first time I invoked regeneration ritual was in 1387. That night was the second time I had practiced the ritual. My body changes into that of a child of about eight years and drains a considerable amount of my magic. I won't go into the details about the ritual now or the reasons why I must perform it, but eventually I will tell you everything." He gave her a tired smile.

Hermione seemed to be weighing this new information and considering his words. "So…you're how old? Eight hundred and something? That would explain why your odd talk and manner. And magic is real, so I bet this can be real too, but I'm going to need more details, and I want to know more about your life." His words slowly sunk into her mind. Her eyes widened in shock, and her mouth dropped. Merlin fidgeted…again. She was openly staring at him in astonishment. Her voice was the first to come back. "You're _the_ Merlin. The one in the legends about King Arthur and the knights of the round table…this is beyond words…beyond me." Her eyes wandered over to a window, and Merlin knew that her mind was a gone, floating around in her jumble of thoughts.

"This shouldn't change anything." Merlin murmured. Hermione jerked slightly and turned towards him with a questioning look. Merlin cleared his throat and spoke louder. "I don't want anything to change between us. We can still be friends. Who I am shouldn't matter in the great scheme of things, right?" He suddenly looked uncertainly at Hermione, hoping that she'd confirm what he'd said.

She didn't say anything immediately, but just gazed thoughtfully at Merlin. He fidgeted. It appeared as if the fates didn't want him to have a close companion, a friend. His expression became sad, and his face fell. He turned away from Hermione. It was over.

"I agree." Merlin felt his hope renew as he faced his friend again. Hermione smiled and reached out to grab his hands. "Who you are shouldn't change our friendship. You're my first friend and more like family in my eyes. I could never walk away from you." She nodded and leaned in planting a small kiss on his cheek. "You'll always have a friend in me."

Merlin couldn't help the large grin that grew on his face. He felt a burden lift from his shoulders. It was nice having a friend he could count on to always be there for him. He hadn't had someone like that in hundreds of years. "Thank you." He stated, knowing that those words couldn't convey all the emotions passing through him, but deciding that not saying anything at all would be much worse.

Hermione nodded. "I don't think I can eat another bite of food." Merlin glanced at her plate. The food was gone…and so was the watered down ale.

"I can tell that you're still tired. Why don't you rest for a few hours? I'll wake you up for your next meal and see how you're doing. Maybe we can work on your magical training afterwards." Merlin started directing her towards the bed. She was already nodding off, even though she was standing. She gave a sleepy agreement as he tucked her into bed. She fell asleep within seconds. He brushed a few of the stray curls out of her face. She was going to have a rough time with the next stage of magical training, but he had a feeling that she would enjoy the work and never give up on it. He left her side after a moment in order to clean up the dishes. He would wake her up soon, but for now, he was going to let her have a good rest.

* * *

Hermione woke abruptly to the sound of Merlin yelling that food was ready. She felt so much better and after they had eaten. He took her outside and started explaining some of the spells she was about to learn.

"_Hilderand_**(1)** is the incantation to use when you want to shield yourself from other spells or even physical attacks if it's strong enough." He demonstrated the spell. A large golden orb covered him, and he showed her what it looked like to pour his magic into it making it brighter and stronger and then weakening the shield so she could barely see it. "For this spell to work, you'll need all your concentration. It will also help with controlling the flow of your magic."

Hermione nodded in understanding and waited for him to let her try the spell. He explained the theory and the emotions behind the spell as well as the history before she was able to try it, but she had to admit that she loved learning everything about something before she tried it, so she was happy to wait. It took the rest of the day to get the shield to work and even then it only barely glowed before flickering out. She was exhausted by the end, but happy that she was able to perform it, though the spell was far from perfect yet. She promised herself that she would practice it every day until she could execute it flawlessly.

Merlin also gave her a few other spells to practice after she got the shield right, and she couldn't wait to start working on them. She might be new to this and not very good, but she was sure that she'd be doing really well soon enough. She had to admit though, that she was really excited that it was Merlin teaching her. How many could say that they were taught magic by _the_ Merlin? She couldn't wait to learn more about magic and about her friend. He had centuries of experience and knowledge after all.

* * *

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. She learned more spells and refined the way magic flowed through her. She could do more powerful spells and even hold her own in a duel (when Merlin went easier on her). Merlin gave her books on magical theory, ancient languages, magical cultures, and a multitude of other resources. She was in heaven with so many books and resources. He had promised that in another month or two they would start travelling the world. She knew that something was up, but she figured that he would tell her soon, when everything was ready…or when he was ready. He kept a tight lid on his past, but he promised that she would eventually know more. He wasn't ready yet.

She shook her thoughts away. Right now, she had to focus. She crawled over to the river to refill her pouch with water. This survival exercise was taking its toll on her. She'd been out in the forest for two days. Merlin hunted her, while she hid and ran. Her magic was running low. If she could last for one more day, she would pass his test. If anything, she was determined to pass and go on to the next level…the next lesson. She sighed. Her birthday was in three days. Merlin probably didn't realize she was turning eight soon. She crawled back to her spot amidst the bushes. Good cover could be hard to find. A twig snapped towards her right. Her whole body grew rigid. It looked like she would be running again very soon.

Spell fire came from that direction, so she pulled her magic and threw up a shield. She returned fire as she ran through the trees. One of her spells caused a tree to fall, while another had the water from the river turn into very sharp icicles. She quickly chanted through a disorientation curse and found cover again. This time, she hoped that it would take him longer to find her. She couldn't keep this up for much longer. "Twenty three hours and fifteen minutes until this is all over," she chanted under her breath. "It's almost over." She shivered in the dark.

**(1) Shield in Old English**


End file.
